Apparatus and method for recovering floating objects



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LEROY O. OLSON INVENTOR BY V. C. MULLER ATTORNEY.

July 26, 1966 LE ROY o. OLSON APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RECOVERING FLOATING OBJECTS Filed Sept. 29, 1964 L "V II July 26, 1966 LE ROY o. OLSON APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RECOVERING FLOATING OBJECTS Filed Sept. 29, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III will! mm mm ww mm LEROY O. OLSON IN VENTOR.

BY V. C. MULLER ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,262,585 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RECOVERING FLOATING OBJECTS Le Roy 0. Olson, Kirkland, Wash., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Sept. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 400,292 2 Claims. (Cl. 21415) This invention relates to methods and apparatus for transferring buoyant objects, such as torpedoes and like test vehicles, from the surface of the sea to the deck of a recovery vessel.

In the recovery of buoyant objects of the type referred to it has been common practice to provide a recovery vessel with an inclined ramp, usually extending from the stern of the vessel, onto which divers maneuver the object, after which it is pulled up the ramp and onto the deck by a winch. A suitable pulling attachment is usually applied to the nose end of the obrect by a diver, to which a winch cable may be attached. In some instances, where the appendages of the object, such as propellers, fins, or other fragile and hazardous parts might be damaged or might injure a diver, a protective device is also applied by the diver to cover such appendages.

Disadvantages of such method and apparatus include the requirement of trained divers, possible injury to the .divers resulting from contact with sharp and dangerous parts of the object, such as propellers, and the requirement for specialized equipment, such as the ramp and devices which must be attached to the object while in the sea and prior to working the object up the ramp.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide methods and apparatus for transferring a buoyant object from the surface of the sea to the deck of a recovrey vessel "ice attached to a hook 24 disposed on an end of the boom cable.

Referring now to FIGS. 24, each snare device comprises a tubular pole 20, to one end of which is attached a U-shaped member 26 by a pivot bolt 28. Another like U-shaped member 30 is pivotally attached to the bight of member 26 by another pivot bolt 32. An arcuate tube 34 is disposed between the flanges of member 30 and is rigidly secured to the flanges by bolts 36. A resilient band 38, of rubber or neoprene, is secured at its ends to member 26 by suitable fastenings and extends around the fianges of member 30 and tube 34, providing a spring which tends to restore relative rotation of members 26, 30, about pivot bolt 32, to the position shown in FIG. 4. I

One end of cable 22 is secured to a conventional cable thimble 42, disposed adjacent a slot 44 in tube 34, the cable thence passing through one side of tube 34, forming an open loop or snare portion 22b and thence passing through the other side of tube 34 and through the eye of the thimble. The other end of cable 22, indicated at 22a, is provided with a like thimble 46 which engages crane hook 24. A rope 48 is spliced at one end to cable 22 at a point 50, thence extends through one side of tube 34, through thimble 42, through a portion of pole 20, its other end being provided with a pulling handle 52.

without the requirement of divers, specialized ramps or ancillary devices associated with the same.

Another object is to provide methods and apparatus which may be employed with a recovery vessel without requirement of any modifications to the vessel or the lifting equipment, such as a crane, normally provided on the vessel.

Another object is to provide methods and apparatus for capturing and transferring a buoyant object to the deck of a recovery vessel, while preventing damage to the object due to contact between the object and vessel, by personnel disposed only on the deck of the recovery vessel.

Still further objects, advantages, and salient features will become more apparent from the description to follow, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates the method and apparatus employed in practicing the subject of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a snare device;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevationof a detail of FIG. 2, as views in the direction of arrow 3;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4, FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a broken away side elevation of a pole device; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged section taken through line 66, FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawing, and first to FIG. 1, the recovery vessel 10 is any conventional vessel equipped with a crane boom 12, preferably extending beyond the stern of the vessel. A pair of poles 14, maneuvered by personnel 16 on the deck of the vessel, are employed to initially capture an object- 18, such as a torpedo, after which a pair of poles 20, equipped with snares 22, are employed to more securely capture the object and ready it for lifting from the water by cables 22a which are 4 of the object.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, each pole 14 is provided with a commercially available vacuum cup 54 (manufactured by Atlantic India Rubber Works, Chicago, Ill.) having. a spring loaded release valve 56 which may be moved to release position by a rope or-cord 58 extending through a portion of the pole.

In operation, vessel 10 is maneuvered to a position spaced from a floating object 18 and the object is temporarily captured with the vacuum cups disposed on the ends of poles 14. During this operation the object is maintained a safe distance from the vessel to prevent contact with and damage to the object. Thimbles 46 have previously been applied to crane hook 24 and the snare .loops enlarged sufficiently to freely pass over the ends The deck operators then apply the snare loops and shorten the same by pulling on handles 52, thus further capturing the object. The crane cable is then tightened and as weight of the object is transferred to the crane cable the snare loops are further tightened around the object. The object is then raised and the boom suitably swung to bring the object onto the deck of the vessel.

Theexposed portion of snare loop 22b is preferably encased within a rubber or neoprene tube or hose (not shown) to prevent marring of the object.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for transferring a floating object, such as a circular elongated torpedo or like test vehicle, from the surface of the sea to the deck of a recovery vessel, comprising:

(a) a pair of capturing poles, each having a vacuum cup on one end of same adapted to be temporarily secured to the object by operators on the deck of the vessel to thereby maintain the object at a desired spacing from the vessel, 7

(b) a pair of securing poles, each having a snare loop on one end of the same, adapted to be manipulated by other operators on the deck of the vessel, (c) a cord or the like extending from a snare loop to in J the remote end of a securing pole adapted to be tensioned by an operator to close and initially tighten a snare loop, and

(d) a cable or the like connected to the snare loop having one end connected to a crane adapted to further tighten the snare loop and lift the object from the water and onto the deck of the vessel.

2. A method of transferring a floating object, such as a circular elongated torpedo or like test vehicle, from the surface of the sea to the deck of a recovery vessel, which comprises the steps of:

(a) maneuvering the vessel to a position spaced from the object,

(b) temporarily securing an end of a pole to the object by an operator on the deck of the vessel to thereby maintain the object at a desired spacing from the vessel,

(-c) placing a snare loop, disposed on the end of a pole, around the object, by an operator on the deck of the vessel,

((1) tightening the snare loop by the operator, aforesaid to initially capture the object,

(e) and lifting the snare loop and object by a crane and transferring same to the deck of the vessel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,287,576 6/1942 Solomon 29464 2,704,052 3/1955 Wood 294-19 X 15 GERALD M, FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

R. SHERIDAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING A FLOATING OBJECT, SUCH AS A CIRCULAR ELONGATED TORPEDO OR LIKE TEST VEHICLE, FROM THE SURFACE OF THE SEA TO THE DECK OF A RECOVERY VESSEL COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF CAPTURING POLES, EACH HAVING A VACUUM CUP ON ONE END OF SAME ADAPTED TO BE TEMPORARILY SECURED TO THE OBJECT BY OPERATORS ON THE DECK OF THE VESSEL TO THEREBY MAINTAIN THE OBJECT AT A DESIRED SPACING FROM THE VESSEL, (B) A PAIR OD SECURING POLES, EACH HAVING A SNARE LOOP ON ONE END OF THE SAME, ADAPTED TO BE MANIPULATED BY OTHER OPERATORS ON THE DECK OF THE VESSEL, (C) A CORD OR THE LIKE EXTENDING FROM A SNARE LOOP TO THE REMOTE END OF A SECURING POLE ADAPTED TO BE TENSIONED BY AN OPERATOR TO CLOSE AND INITIALLY TIGHTEN A SNARE LOOP, AND (D) A CABLE OR THE LIKE CONNECTED TO THE SNARE ADAPTED TO FURHAVING ONE END CONNECTED TO A CRANE ADAPTED TO FURTHER TIGHTEN THE SNARE LOOP AND LIFT THE OBJECT FROM THE WATER AND ONTO THE DECK OF THE VESSEL.
 2. A METHOD OF TRANSFERRING A FLOATING OBJECT, SUCH AS A CIRCULAR ELONGATED TORPEDO OR LIKE TEST VEHICLE, FROM THE SURFACE OF THE SEA TO THE DECK OF A RECOVERY VESSEL, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (A) MANEUVERING THE VESSEL TO A POSITION SPACVED FROM THE OBJECT, (B) TEMPORARILY SECURING AN END OF A POLE TO THE OBJECT BY AN OPERATOR ON THE DECK OF THE VESSEL TO THEREBY MAINTAIN THE OBJECT AT A DESIRED SPACING FROM THE VESSEL, (C) PLACING A SNARE LOOP, DISPOSED ON THE END OF A POLE, AROUND THE OBJECT, BY AN OPERATOR ON THE DECK OF THE VESSEL, (D) TIGHTENING THE SNARE LOOP BY THE OPERATOR, AFORESAID TO INITIALLY CAPTURE THE OBJECT, (E) AND LIFTING THE SNARE LOOP AND OBJECT BY A CRANE AND TRANSFERRING SAME TO THE DECK OF THE VESSEL. 